Key Concepts Anti against Climax turning point The climax is
the point of highest interest at which we know how the story will
end. The main conflict and suspense are concluded here. If that
climax is a let down to what we expect, it is called an
anticlimax.
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Key Concepts Example of anticlimax: A large present, labeled
for you, sits under the Christmas tree. You have been wanting a new
bicycle for quite some time and have guessed that is what the box
contains. Christmas day arrives and you rip open the large box only
to find a candy cane buried at the bottom of the box. Needless to
say, an anticlimax tends to result in disappointment.
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Key Concepts The setting is when and where a story takes place.
Setting can be both general (month or season, century or year,
geographical area) and specific (time of day, specific area). The
setting may determine the kind of characters, the action, the type
of conflict, and the mood.
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Key Concepts Foreshadowing gives the reader a hint of something
that is going to happen next without revealing the story or
spoiling the suspense.
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Vocabulary Interstellar overdrive (p.45) A special high- speed
gear for travelling between the stars Rigel (p.45) A bright star in
the constellation of Orion. Stegosaur (p.47) A type of
dinosaur.
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Vocabulary Saurian (p.48) A reptile such as a dinosaur,
crocodile, or lizard. Tyrannosaurus (p.48) A very large dinosaur.
Percussion caps (p.54) Small caps containing powder that explodes
when struck.
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Discussion Questions 1. When did Ilkor visit Earth? Millions of
years ago The age of the dinosaurs
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Discussion Questions 2. Why did it not return? It was destroyed
by a raider ship
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Discussion Questions 3. What information about the ruum given
by an officer of the Ilkor later proves to be important? Explain
what is meant by the information. The officer of the Ilkor says For
a maximum radius of 30 miles, and 160 pounds plus or minus 15
(p.45). The officer means the ruum is supposed work within a 30
mile radius and look for species between 145 and 175 pounds.
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Discussion Questions 4. What information is given about the
people of Ilkor? The commander has triangular eyes, which suggests
they are not human (aliens) They are violent. The one responsible
for leaving the ruum will be killed for his mistake.
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Discussion Questions 5. How long has the robot been left on
Earth before it is discovered? What does this suggest about the
nature of the ruum? The robot has been left on Earth for millions
of years before it is discovered This suggests that the ruum is an
indestructible and unstoppable robot
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Discussion Questions 6. Where and when does most of the story
take place? Why is the setting so important? The majority of the
story takes place in a remote valley of the Canadian Rockies The
setting is important because it is secluded. Jim is alone with the
ruum.
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Discussion Questions 7. Why is the isolation of the valley
stressed? The isolation is stressed because if the plane failed to
return, Jim would surely die. Also, Jim is all alone, meaning no
one can help him but himself.
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Discussion Questions 8. What is Jim Irwin doing in the Rockies?
How much time does he intend to spend there? What other facts are
given about him? Jim is in the Rockies because he is looking for
uranium. He intends to spend 3 weeks there. We know that Jim is
physically fit and military trained.
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Discussion Questions 9. What examples of foreshadowing can you
find? For a maximum radius of 30 miles, and 160 pounds plus or
minus 15 (p.45). He noticed the victims were roughly a size.[] Each
specimen was about the size of a large sheep (p.48). Jim Irwin
weighed exactly 149 pounds (p.49).
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Discussion Questions 10. What was amazing about the collection
of animals Jim came upon? They were lined up in a triple row The
animal collection included recent and prehistoric animals,
including a stegosaurus The animals were paralyzed and still alive,
just in suspended animation The animals were all similar in
size
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Discussion Questions 11. Jim says the ruums collection of
specimens is like some enterprising giants outdoor butcher shop.
What does this comparison tell you about the ruums methods? What is
the figure of speech in the above quotation? This comparison tells
us the ruum is organized and detail-oriented. It is specific in the
way it handles its prey. The figure of speech is a simile a
comparison between two things using like or as.
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Discussion Questions 12. Consider the following: The ruum can
only move 5mph. How fast can a man or woman run? What about a deer?
Why then does the ruum always catch its prey? Provide two reasons
why Jim could not get free of the ruum just by running. The ruum
never stops. It doesnt get tired and doesnt need food and/or fuel.
Jim cant destroy the ruum. All of his time is spent running from
and fending off the ruum; Jim is tired and hungry. The ruum is
not.
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Discussion Questions 13. List the steps Jim took in his attempt
to destroy the rum. Hides Drops Boulder Climbs cliff Shoots ruum
Detonates his own dynamite trap with pistol bullet
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Discussion Questions 14. Why does the ruum lift Jim and put him
down without harming him? What saved Jim? Because Jim has spent so
much time running from the ruum, he has lost weight, leaving him
outside of the ruums acceptable weight requirement. The ruum only
looks for species between 145 and 175 pounds. Jim lost weight in
his battles with the ruum, unknowingly making himself undesirable
to the ruum. What saved Jim was the ruum.
Slide 26
Discussion Questions 15. Although Jim has found no uranium, his
expedition is not a complete financial failure. Why not? His
expedition is not a complete financial failure because of the
prehistoric animals and reptiles he discovered. As Walt says, if we
can snatch up just a few of these prehistoric lizards and things
while the museum keepers away, the scientists will pay us plenty
(p.57).
